The relationship between sequence and interaction divergence in proteins

There is currently a gap in knowledge between complexes of known three-dimensional structure and those known from other experimental methods such as affinity purifications or the two-hybrid system. This gap can sometimes be bridged by methods that extrapolate interaction information from one complex structure to homologues of the interacting proteins. To do this, it is important to know if and when proteins of the same type (e.g. family, superfamily or fold) interact in the same way. Here, we study interactions of known structure to address this question. We found all instances within the structural classification of proteins database of the same domain pairs interacting in different complexes, and then compared them with a simple measure (interaction RMSD). When plotted against sequence similarity we find that close homologues (30-40% or higher sequence identity) almost invariably interact the same way. Conversely, similarity only in fold (i.e. without additional evidence for a common ancestor) is only rarely associated with a similarity in interaction. The results suggest that there is a twilight zone of sequence similarity where it is not possible to say whether or not domains will interact similarly. We also discuss the rare instances of fold similarities interacting the same way, and those where obviously homologous proteins interact differently.     

Lipid interaction networks of peripheral membrane proteins revealed by data-driven micelle docking

Many signaling and trafficking proteins contain modular domains that bind reversibly to cellular membranes. The structural basis of the intermolecular interactions which mediate these membrane-targeting events remains elusive since protein-membrane complexes are not directly accessible to standard structural biology techniques. Here we report a fast protein-micelle docking methodology that yields three-dimensional model structures of proteins inserted into micelles, revealing energetically favorable orientations, convergent insertion angles, and an array of protein-lipid interactions at atomic resolution. The method is applied to two peripheral membrane proteins, the early endosome antigen 1 (EEA1) FYVE (a zinc finger domain found in the proteins Fab1, YOTB/ZK632.12, Vac1, and EEA1) and Vam7p phagocyte oxidase homology domains, which are revealed to form extensive networks of interactions with multiple phospholipid headgroups and acyl chains. The resulting structural models explain extensive published mutagenesis data and reveal novel binding determinants. The docking restraints used here were based on NMR data, but can be derived from any technique that detects insertion of protein residues into a membrane, and can be applied to virtually any peripheral membrane protein or membrane-like structure.     

Microsequence analysis of peptides and proteins: trimethylsilylisothiocyanate as a reagent for COOH-terminal sequence analysis

A reinvestigation of the isothiocyanate-based chemistry for cyclic degradations of peptides and proteins revealed that the reagent trimethylsilylisothiocyanate (TMS-ITC) gives superior results in terms of coupling efficiency and lack of complicating side reactions. Acetic anhydride (10 min at various temperatures) was used to activate the carboxyl terminus, and 6 N HCl (30 min at room temperature) was used for cleavage as originally described by G.R. Stark (Biochemistry 8, 4735, 1968). Reaction conditions for efficient coupling were explored using subtractive chemistry on bradykinin, a nonapeptide, and separation of the reaction products by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The products were analyzed by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry and shown to be the N-acetylated starting material and the N-acetylated des-Arg9 derivative of bradykinin. The pseudo-first-order rate constants measured at 50, 70, and 90 degrees C were 5.6 X 10(-5), 5.1 X 10(-4), and 8.6 X 10(-4) s-1, respectively. In order to obtain complete couplings within 30-40 min at 50 degrees C, the effect of pyridine catalysis was studied. The addition of 0.225 M pyridine resulted in roughly doubling the rates at 50 and 70 degrees C. In the case of bradykinin, the reaction with TMS-ITC in the presence of the pyridine catalyst at 50 degrees C was complete in 15 min. In order to apply this methodology to the analysis of proteins, the thiohydantoin derivatives of amino acids were synthesized and separated by reverse-phase HPLC. The derivatives were also characterized by mass spectrometry. The above reaction conditions were tested on 3 nmol of sperm whale apomyoglobin for three cycles of degradation. The sample was first coupled to p-phenylene diisothiocyanate-derivatized aminopropyl glass with a 90% yield. The approximate initial yield of glycine at cycle one was 30%. The first three cycles corresponded exactly to the predicted carboxy-terminal sequence of myoglobin. These results demonstrate the feasibility of a new Stark reagent for automated carboxy-terminal chemistry.     

Modular assembly of voltage-gated channel proteins: a sequence analysis and phylogenetic study

Voltage-sensitive cation-selective ion channels of the voltage-gated ion channel (VGC) superfamily were examined by a combination of sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree construction procedures. Segments of the alpha-subunits of K+-selective channels homologous to the structurally elucidated KcsA channel of Streptomyces lividans were multiply aligned, and this alignment provided the database for computer-assisted structural analyses and phylogenetic tree construction. Similar analyses were conducted with the four homologous repeats of the alpha-subunits from representative Ca2+- and Na+-selective channels, as well as with the ensemble of K+, Ca2+ and Na+ channels. In both the single subunit of the K+ channels and the individual repeats of the Ca2+ and Na+ channels, the analyses suggest the occurrence of at least two tandemly arranged modules corresponding to the predicted voltage-sensor domain and the pore domain. The phylogenetic analyses reveal strict clustering of segments according to cation-selectivity and repeat unit. We surmise that the pore module of the prokaryotic K+ channel was the primordial polypeptide upon which other modules were superimposed during evolution in order to generate phenotypic diversity. These observations may prove applicable to all members of the VGC family yet to be discovered throughout the prokaryotic and eukaryotic kingdoms.     

北京棒杆菌转酮酶:基因克隆、序列分析与表达

【目的】转酮酶是非氧化磷酸戊糖途径中的关键酶。从北京棒杆菌(Corynebacterium pekinense PD-67)中克隆转酮酶(transketolase,EC2.2.1.1,TK)基因,并将转酮酶基因在C.pekinense PD-67中进行表达,研究增加转酮酶活性对C.pekinense PD-67生理特性的影响。【方法】分别以C.pekinense野生株AS1.299和突变株PD-67的基因组为模板,用PCR方法扩增tkt的全基因序列和前端控制序列;通过pAK6载体提高tkt基因在C.pekinense PD-67中的拷贝数,从而提高C.pekinense PD-67中转酮酶的活性。【结果】tkt基因核苷酸序列及其编码的氨基酸序列与结构分析结果表明,C.pekinense突变株PD-67与野生株AS1.299相比较,二者调控序列及结构基因核苷酸序列完全一致。与谷氨酸棒杆菌ATCC13032相比较,突变株PD-67的氨基酸序列有5个氨基酸差异,其中4个位于与辅因子硫胺素焦磷酸结合的结构域内。突变株PD-67来源的tkt基因在北京棒杆菌PD-67中得到了表达,重组菌转酮酶比活力比对照菌株提高了2倍。C.pekinense PD-67(pTK3)与对照菌株PD-67(pAK6)相比,生长加快,L-色氨酸的最终积累量也较高。【结论】本工作从C.pekinense1.299和PD-67中克隆到tkt基因,并实现tkt基因的同源表达。适当提高菌株转酮酶活力,有助于菌体生长和色氨酸积累。     

Of RNA-binding proteins and their targets: interaction determines expression

Combining the prediction of interactions between mRNAs and RNA-binding proteins with experimental expression profiles uncovers novel regulatory paradigms concerning proliferation and differentiation processes.See related research, http://genomebiology.com/2014/15/1/R13     

棉铃虫HaTO-like基因的克隆、序列分析和表达特征

【目的】克隆和分析了棉铃虫Helicoverpa armigera HaTO-like基因的编码框序列,检测了该基因的时空表达谱以及在棉铃虫感染核型多角体病毒HaSNPV后的转录变化,为深入研究该基因的功能提供理论依据。【方法】本研究利用RT-PCR的方法首次克隆获得HaTO-like基因的全长cDNA序列,通过几种生物信息学软件对该基因的核苷酸序列和氨基酸序列进行了分析,并利用荧光定量PCR技术检测了该基因在棉铃虫不同发育阶段、幼虫组织和成虫组织的表达情况,以及HaSNPV感染对HaTO-like基因表达的影响。【结果】棉铃虫HaTO-like基因cDNA全长为994 bp,开放阅读框为756 bp,编码251个氨基酸,其蛋白序列的N端含有23个氨基酸的信号肽。进一步的序列分析表明棉铃虫HaTO-like与其他昆虫同源蛋白的氨基酸序列一致性不是太高,大概在39%~61%之间,其中与家蚕和脐橙螟在系统进化上关系最近。荧光定量PCR结果表明该基因在棉铃虫的5龄0 h和成虫第1天的的表达量相对较高,在幼虫的头部和表皮内的表达量较其他幼虫组织较高,在成虫的头部和足的表达量也相对较高。而病毒感染则显著地诱导了该基因在棉铃虫幼虫头部和表皮内的表达。【讨论】本研究克隆了棉铃虫HaTO-like基因的全长cDNA序列,分析了该基因的序列特征和表达谱,为进一步阐释该基因的功能奠定理论基础。     

Blue copper proteins: a comparative analysis of their molecular interaction properties

Blue copper proteins are type-I copper-containing redox proteins whose role is to shuttle electrons from an electron donor to an electron acceptor in bacteria and plants. A large amount of experimental data is available on blue copper proteins; however, their functional characterization is hindered by the complexity of redox processes in biological systems. We describe here the application of a semiquantitative method based on a comparative analysis of molecular interaction fields to gain insights into the recognition properties of blue copper proteins. Molecular electrostatic and hydrophobic potentials were computed and compared for a set of 33 experimentally-determined structures of proteins from seven blue copper subfamilies, and the results were quantified by means of similarity indices. The analysis provides a classification of the blue copper proteins and shows that (I) comparison of the molecular electrostatic potentials provides useful information complementary to that highlighted by sequence analysis; (2) similarities in recognition properties can be detected for proteins belonging to different subfamilies, such as amicyanins and pseudoazurins, that may be isofunctional proteins; (3) dissimilarities in interaction properties, consistent with experimentally different binding specificities, may be observed between proteins belonging to the same subfamily, such as cyanobacterial and eukaryotic plastocyanins; (4) proteins with low sequence identity, such as azurins and pseudoazurins, can have sufficient similarity to bind to similar electron donors and acceptors while having different binding specificity profiles.     

The cohesin complex: sequence homologies, interaction networks and shared motifs

Background  

Cohesin is a macromolecular complex that links sister chromatids together at the metaphase plate during mitosis. The links are formed during DNA replication and destroyed during the metaphase-to-anaphase transition. In budding yeast, the 14S cohesin complex comprises at least two classes of SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes) proteins - Smc1 and Smc3 - and two SCC (sister-chromatid cohesion) proteins - Scc1 and Scc3. The exact function of these proteins is unknown.     

Molecular cloning, sequence analysis and expression studies of a novelGAmyb homologous gene,hvmyb

Using a knownGAmyb gene as the probe, two fully identical clones were isolated from a barley aleurone cDNA library. Sequence analysis showed that their 5′ termini are highly homoIogous to the 3′ termini ofGAmyb (97%) and their 3′ termini share no significant homology with any myb genes. Therefore, the deduced protein may hold intact putativeGAmyb activation domain but lack the normal DNA-binding domain. Northern blot reveals thathumyb expression in barley aleurone layers is strongly up-regulated by gibberellin (GA) and down-regulated by abscisic acid (APIA). The tissue-and developmental-stage-specificity ofhvmyb was also found, which was only expressed in barley aleurone cells and dropped to non-detectable level soon after germination.